Friday, June 27, 2014

Citing the need for management changes in the recreational
fishery and overwhelming opposition to the reallocation by Gulf residents, the
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted Thursday to defer action on
Amendment 28, a proposal that would take a portion of the red snapper fishery
from Gulf seafood providers for the exclusive use of recreational fishing.

The Council’s vote means it with defer any further action on
Amendment 28 until it has completed work on another proposal, “Amendment 40.” This
proposal lays the groundwork for new management options for both private
anglers and federally permitted recreational charter operators who provide access
to recreational anglers through chartered offshore trips.

“We are glad to see the Gulf Council focusing on ideas that
could help the recreational fishery,” said John Schmidt, a commercial fisherman
from Madeira Beach, Florida and Share the Gulf co-chair. “Share the Gulf was
built on the idea that if we manage the entire fishery well, we can share it
fairly and sustainably.”

Amendment 28 I its current form (Alternative 5) would take
nearly half a million pounds of red snapper out of the commercial seafood
market next year alone and shift the majority of future increases to the
recreational sector. This is in exchange for adding maybe one day to a nine-day
recreational fishing season. Red snapper is a shared fishery and the total
allowable catch is already split almost evenly between the commercial and
recreational fishermen. Unfortunately, despite that even split, anglers are
stuck in a failed management system that leads to shorter and shorter seasons
every year, frustrating everyone.

“Reallocation is a false promise to recreational fishermen,”
said Capt. Shane Cantrell, a recreational charter captain from Galveston, Texas
and Share the Gulf member. “The recreational fishery needs a new management
plan and the Council’s action Thursday takes this divisive issue off the table so
we can focus on real solutions to the problems recreational fishermen are
facing.”

The Gulf Council has received thousands of comments over the
last three months in opposition to Amendment 28. A recent review of those
comments by Share the Gulf showed that Gulf residents opposed reallocation by a
nearly 3-1 margin.

While Amendment 28 has been deferred for now, Share the Gulf
and its members will continue to educate Gulf leaders on the downsides of
reallocation and work to promote solutions to the failed federal recreational
management system.

“Reallocation will hurt Gulf seafood providers and consumers
while doing nothing to help the recreational fishery,” said Buddy Guindon, a
commercial fisherman from Galveston, Texas and Share the Gulf member. “We need
the Council to permanently stop work on Amendment 28 and fully focus its
efforts on solutions not fish grabs.”